Green candidate Aislinn Clancy wins Kitchener Centre byelection

Green candidate Aislinn Clancy had a large lead early in the night and never looked back as she won the provincial byelection in Kitchener Centre.

The unofficial results Thursday night showed Clancy had 11,334 votes, which was 5,022 more than second-place candidate Debbie Chapman of the NDP.

Elections Ontario used tabulators in this byelection rather than paper ballots that have to be counted by hand, so the final poll numbers were reported before 10:30 p.m.

The win means the Green Party of Ontario will now have two MPPs at Queen's Park. Clancy will join Guelph MPP and Green Leader Mike Schreiner.

Clancy was joined by Schreiner and Kitchener Centre Green MP Mike Morrice on stage as she addressed supporters Thursday night as results came in. She thanked her "dream team" of volunteers.

"The work starts today. I thought I was tired but I'm a little like 'oh,'" she told the crowd. "We're going to get things done and serve people well."

In a press release, Schreiner said the "Green wave is growing" across the province and he was proud of the campaign Clancy ran.

"Her compassion, her drive and her commitment to her community are unparalleled, and I know she'll be an incredible advocate for her community," he said.

Chapman says message 'resonated'

Chapman issued a release Thursday evening to thank volunteers and also the people she spoke with over the course of the campaign.

"It was encouraging for me to see so many young people and students join the campaign. I know our message resonated with people," she said.

Chapman, a city councillor in Kitchener, congratulated Clancy on the win and also vowed to "keep on fighting in Kitchener Centre."

18 candidates on ballot

Progressive Conservative candidate Rob Elliott came in third with 3,109 votes while Liberal Kelly Steiss ended the night in fourth place with 1,817.

New Blue candidate Paul Simoes came in fifth with 536 votes.

There were a record-breaking 18 candidates on the ballot — the highest number ever in an Ontario election.

Of the 87,151 registered voters, Elections Ontario reported 27.1 per cent of people cast a ballot in the byelection.

The byelection was held after former MPP Laura Mae Lindo stepped down from the role in July.

Local political scientists said it was an interesting race to watch. Andrea Perrella is an associate professor of political science at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo and said Kitchener Centre is a "thermometer" for what's happening in the province.

Perrella noted a win for Clancy means "Kitchener Centre would probably be considered the most Green seat in all of Canada" because Morrice is also a Green party member.

Council seat

Clancy is a city councillor for the City of Kitchener. The win means she will need to step down from that role because under Ontario's Municipal Act, she can't hold both seats at the same time.

Then city council will declare the seat vacant and decide how to fill her seat.

At that point one of two things will happen:

• Council can appoint someone to the seat.

• A byelection can be held.